This article was originally published in April 2014.
Ayurveda’s exact origin is controversial. But its conceptual framework developed and matured between 2500 BC and 500 BC in India. The word “Ayurveda” is derived from “ayus,” meaning life, and “veda,” meaning knowledge; thus, Ayurveda literally means “knowledge/science of life.” It is the ancient Indian system of healthcare and longevity.
Ayurveda takes a holistic view of an individual. It defines good health as a balanced metabolism resulting in a healthy state of being. It defines an illness or a disease as an imbalance in metabolism, which can arise from the body or the mind because of external factors or intrinsic causes. Ayurvedic treatment is thus aimed at the patient as an organic whole and consists of a combination of diet, drugs and various physical and mental activities, which depends on each individual. Ayurveda has a large documented history, which is mainly written in Sanskrit and covers different aspects of disease, therapy and pharmacy.
Medicinal preparations in Ayurveda are often complex mixtures, including plant and animal-derived products, minerals and metals. Of these, plants form a dominant part of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia.
The Charaka Samhita, which dates from 900 BC, is the first recorded treatise that is fully devoted to the concepts and practice of Ayurveda; its primary focus is therapeutics. The treatise lists 341 plants and plant products for medical use. Another landmark text is the Sushruta Samhita (600 BC) which looks at surgery. It describes 395 medicinal plants, 57 drugs of animal origin, and 64 minerals and metals as therapeutic agents. Another important authority in Ayurveda was Vagbhatta, who practiced in the seventh century AD. His work Ashtanga Hridaya about the principle and practice of medicine is considered a masterpiece.
Given their thematic scope and detailed knowledge, Ayurvedic texts were much respected in neighboring countries, as evidenced by their translation into Greek (300 BC), Tibetan and Chinese (300 AD), Persian and Arabic (700 AD) and several other Asian languages.
There are approximately 1250 Indian medicinal plants that are used in formulating therapeutic preparations. A fairly comprehensive account of early research covering the modern period up to the early 1930s was put together by RN Chopra in his Indigenous Drugs of India.
Among the best-known plants is the Rauwolfia serpentina. Roots of the plant are mentioned in Ayurveda for the treatment of hypertension, insomnia and insanity. Significant pharmacologic, clinical and chemical work on the plant was carried out in India. This attracted the attention of CIBA, which succeeded in isolating the sedative principle, reserpine, a minor alkaloidal constituent, in 1952. Commiphora wightii, a small tree belonging to the family Burseraceae, also made an impact on modern medicine. When injured, the plant exudes a yellowish gum resin that soon solidifies to an agglomerate of tears with a balsamic odor similar to myrrh. This gum resin – renowned in Ayurveda medicine for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, among others – was tested with modern methods in the 1970s, which eventually led to the isolation and characterization of two anti-hyperlipoproteinemic compounds.
Ayurveda, and other similar systems, represent a valuable resource for the development not only of medicinal preparations but also of nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. However, these claims must be critically evaluated in terms of modern scientific parameters. Taking this aspect into account, it may not be an overstatement to say that the 21st century could become the era of pluralism in healthcare. The human population, the world over, is grappling with new healthcare problems, which are unlikely to be solved by a single approach. Therefore, the search for complementary healthcare solutions should be promoted. As an evidence-based health science Ayurveda has evolved and matured over the last two millennia and therefore has the potential to be a significant contributor for complementary healthcare solutions.
